


Darlin' I'm a Mess Without Your Love

by tay0720



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Drunkenness, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-18
Updated: 2015-08-18
Packaged: 2018-04-15 11:49:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4605609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tay0720/pseuds/tay0720
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post Breakup. Laura goes out to try the Zeta's latest batch of pilsner and may have had a smidge too much. Carmilla's left to deal with the aftermath.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Darlin' I'm a Mess Without Your Love

Carmilla laid silent on the makeshift bed of blankets, staring up at the floorboards. Mattie and Wi- J.P.—she still struggled with that—were sound asleep not far from her. She was tempted to go up to the roof and just watch the stars. If she had to be secluded, she’d rather be able to see the night sky. Unfortunately for her, Vordenberg had round the clock patrols on the ground and on the roofs of the buildings around campus.

She’d been about to try and sleep again when she heard the front door open and clatter loudly as it hit the wall, followed by a dull thud. Carmilla tensed slightly; perhaps Xena had finally snitched, or maybe the Baron was trying to get the upper hand by doing a middle of the night raid on the apartment…

Then she heard it: the very distinct rhythm of Laura’s heart, only beating slightly faster than normal.

“Shhhhhh,” Laura giggled to herself.

“Come on, little nerd,” Kirsch grunted. “We gotta get you to bed and I gotta get back for my patrol with D Bear.”

Carmilla heard Laura giggle again and the shuffle of clothing. She assumed Kirsch had helped Laura off the floor.

“You..are so chivalrous, Kirk,” she slurred slightly. “Chivalrous and _hic_ …blind.”

 _She’s drunk…_ Carmilla thought to herself. She felt a shot of anger go through her, but it was quickly replaced by worry. Laura never got drunk, ever. In the time they’d known one another she rarely ever touched alcohol. And now, she was out in the middle of the night getting wasted with the Zetas?

The question that popped into her head was why Laura was running around in the middle of the night looking for alcohol when there was a well-stocked wine cellar in the apartment. Then she remembered Laura offhandedly commenting on her...unease of some of Mother’s more macabre antiquities that could be found on the way.

“Uh, yeah, well I am your dudescort. I take that title seriously. So which way’s your-”

“Y’know what? ’m good from here, Kurt,” Laura’s slur worsened. “You have fun on your walk with tall, tall Danny.”

Carmilla’s jaw involuntarily clenched at the mention of _that_ particular member of the dimwit squad.

“Are you-”

“Ok, bye!”

Laura all but slammed the door shut and slid the dead bolt into place before she stumbled her way into the kitchen. She knocked at least one breakable to the floor.

“Either you go up there and stifle the imp or I’ll be forced to do it myself, sis,” Mattie growled from her place. “You know how I am about getting my 8 hours.”

Carmilla sighed, knowing full well Mattie’s version of stifling Laura would be a more _permanent_ action. She carefully crouched as she made her way up the small steps and lifted the trap door.

She made her way through the dining room and paused for a moment to take a deep breath—she could smell the alcohol already, but at least Laura hadn’t cut herself on whatever she’d broken on the way in. She drew the curtain back a bit and found Laura slouched over the kitchen island, a glass of water resting near her head, eyes closed.

Carmilla allowed herself a moment to take in the girl’s delicate features in the faint light. Laura’s brow was crinkled, as if she had the weight of the world on her even in her sleep.

“I know you’re a vampire-y creature of the night, but that doesn’t make you staring any less creepy, Carm,” Laura deadpanned, never moving her head or opening her eyes.

Carmilla bit back a smirk before she entered the kitchen completely.

“Hey,” she said, clasping her hands as she leaned against the island on her forearms.

“Hey,” Laura replied miserably. She was going to have a nasty hangover in the morning.

Carmilla sighed lightly. “What are you doing, Creampuff?”

“I wanted some water b’fore bed ‘nd then I got dizzy, so I laid down on…this thing,” she said, her face scrunching in concerted effort as her hazy mind searched for the word before ultimately giving up. “Good ol’ thing,” Laura continued, patting the butcher block top with a small smile. “Always there when you need it; never leaves.”

Carmilla rolled her eyes at the thinly veiled dig.

Laura cracked her eye open, her face screwing up in curiosity, “What are _you_ doing?”

“Couldn’t sleep. Plus, your attempt at a quiet entrance woke Mattie, so I decided to make sure you didn’t have an unfortunate ‘accident’ on your way to bed.”

“Mmm,” Laura’s eye drifted shut.

“I was thinking of going on the roof for-”

“You can’t go up there!” Laura popped her head off the counter so quickly, Carmilla was fleetingly concerned about whiplash. “Uh oh…”

Laura’s face morphed from alarmed to glassy eyed and pale. She slapped her hand over her mouth and hurried to the sink where she promptly emptied the contents of her stomach.

Carmilla flinched slightly as she heard the retching. She stepped behind Laura and turned on the faucet with one hand while the other pulled the girl’s hair back. She rubbed Laura’s back lightly until she was sure Laura was finished throwing up.

Laura sank to the floor and leaned against the cabinets, exhausted. Carmilla wet a washcloth and a paper towel, then knelt down and pressed the washcloth to Laura’s forehead while she dabbed and wiped around Laura’s mouth—just in case.

When she went to throw away the paper towel, Laura whimpered wretchedly.

“Carm…”

Carmilla felt a sharp pang in her heart. That sound hurt more than the stupid arrow tip. She walked back over to Laura and knelt down.

“C’mon, Cupcake,” she exhaled quietly and scooped her off the floor, heading to the bedroom.

*-*

She tapped the door open with her foot and walked to the bed where she gently set Laura, who looked to have fallen asleep on the short walk.

Carmilla turned to retrieve the forgotten water when Laura’s voice, low and scratchy from the events moments prior, stopped her.

“Why’re you taking care of me? ‘s not your job.”

Carmilla bit her lip and looked away as she replied.

“You always take care of me even though it’s not your job.” She turned her gaze back to Laura. “Guess I wanted to return the favor. Vampiric constitution trumps break up awkwardness.”

While Laura just stared at her in response, Carmilla went back to the kitchen.

*-*

When she returned—armed with not just the water, but some aspirin as well—Carmilla found Laura, limbs splayed, taking up the entire bed. She shook her head, set the glass and pills down on the nightstand and tried to slide the duvet out from under the girl.

“Why did you do this to yourself?” she asked, mostly to herself.

“I just wanted to pretend for a while. I wanted to feel like a normal college kid. I wanted to feel anything but the hole in my chest,” Laura replied. “So I filled it with beer! _Hic._ ” A beat passed. “I’m gonna really regret this in the morning, aren’t I?”

“Probably,” Carmilla nodded sadly. “Here, take a drink and some pain killers. You may feel less regretful in the morning.”

She handed Laura the pills and her water and then lifted the blankets back over her legs.

“Thanks.”

Laura took a few sips, trying to be mindful of her upset stomach, before she swallowed the aspirin. She placed the glass as best she could near the edge of the nightstand—which Carmilla quickly caught before it fell off—and slid down under the covers and deeper into the mattress. The haze of the beer and emotional exhaustion really hitting her.

As Carmilla tucked her in, Laura appraised her through droopy eyes.

“Strange little onion; we don’t know what’s inside,” she whispered as she ran her fingertip lightly down the side of Carmilla’s face.

Carmilla grabbed the wandering hand and gave it a quick squeeze before setting it on the bed as Laura’s eyes drifted completely shut. She went to turn off the bedside lamp but paused for a moment.

 _Screw it_ , she thought. It would be worth any possible consequences.

She leaned over and pressed a ghost of a kiss to Laura’s forehead.

“Don’t go on the roof… They’ll be looking for you,” Laura murmured and brought her knees closer to her chest.

“Goodnight, Laura,” she whispered as she turned off the lamp and left the room.

*-*

She crouched her way back into the crawlspace under the floor and settled back into her spot, staring up at the floorboards.

“I’m going to need to visit a dentist for all these cavities I feel coming on. Shall I send you the bill?”

“Shut up, Mattie…”

The last sound before Carmilla drifted off was Mattie’s low chuckle

**End**

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


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